Schools getting a solar jolt

Online: For information on the district’s existing solar power projects, go to sdusd.rem-systems.com

ONLINE

For information on the district’s existing solar power projects, go to sdusd.rem-systems.com

About a quarter of San Diego city public schools will generate electricity with solar power under an initiative that would vastly expand the school district’s green energy.

Some 23,000 solar panels will be attached to 80 rooftops throughout the San Diego Unified School District, with installation expected to begin this fall. The number of campuses and facilities to rely on the sun for energy will go from 28 to 48 in a program that has the potential to save the district between $13 million and $20 million against its energy costs over the life of a 22-year contract.

The school board approved a contract with Solana Beach-based AMSOLAR last week to build 5.2 megawatts of solar power.

The district will buy $35 million worth of solar-generated electricity from the company in lieu of purchasing it from San Diego Gas and Electric. The district expects to save more than $300,000 in energy costs during the first year of the project.

The new energy system will produce solar power equivalent to 64 percent of the energy consumption at 20 district facilities and will produce 11 percent of San Diego Unified’s total energy needs. The electricity would supplement the district’s existing 4.17 megawatts of solar power at 28 sites. A megawatt can power about 1,000 homes.

The energy project could creep into the classroom as topics for lectures, lessons and education demonstrations. Through its nonprofit foundation, the solar energy provider plans to work with schools and the community to promote solar awareness and education.

“We are excited about helping students see the power of solar energy come alive on a daily basis,” said Joshua Weinstein, AMSOLAR’s managing partner of the corporation.

The district’s contract represents a revived effort to embrace solar energy. San Diego Unified and other districts had stalled their solar projects a few years ago because their electricity bills were increasing with the eco-friendly energy systems.

That changed, in part, because large electricity users, such as school districts, no longer have to pay for all fixed costs, such as transmission lines, towers and other equipment.

The San Diego schools that are in line to receive solar panels are: Baker, Benchley-Weinberger, Boone, Edison, Emerson-Bandini, Encanto, Freese, Gage, Johnson, Sherman and Valencia Park elementary schools. Clairemont, Kearny, Lincoln, Madison, Mission Bay, Morse, Scripps Ranch and University City high schools are also on the list, as is the district’s Revere Center.